Meet the Owner
Hi, I’m Carla Callahan — slayer of cake! I love everything about my job, from creating sugar flowers to match the ones in your centerpieces, to making your guests GASP in amazement at how silky the buttercream is, to helping you with vendor recommendations for the rest of your wedding planning process (I’ve got all the good ones on speed dial).
I’ve been a Seattle-based pastry chef for 15 years and counting. My sense of humor, adventurous and determined spirit, keen eye for detail, and excellent manual dexterity all combine synergistically when I’m creating cakes for my clients. I want you to be WOWED by your cake and desserts. You deserve delicious, beautiful memories. I am so honored and excited to be part of it all. When clients or their photographers send me images after the event is over, the first thing I scroll down to find is the cake-cutting moment. I do a happy dance when I see you cut a big slice and grin while sharing your first bite as a married pair.
Another reason why I love being part of weddings and happy celebrations so much is that I am married to my favorite and most magical human on earth, Loren. I think a beautiful marriage is one of life’s great accomplishments. Loren is an award-winning photojournalist turned wedding photographer. He’s my biggest fan and I’m his, and we have each other’s handwritten names tattooed on our forearms. We started another company together in early 2024, specializing in sustainable floral rentals. We’re proud to see Young Vine Rentals gaining traction here in Seattle and have served some absolutely STUNNING events with our floral arches and other rental pieces. You can find us HERE.
Photo by Anna Peters
Photo by Anna Peters
I started Honey Crumb Cake Studio in 2010, developing my own brand of personalized, sculptural cakes with clean lines and a twist of fun. At the time, there were a lot of “assembly-line” cakes being pumped out elsewhere, and the profession of cake design & artistry was slowly starting to take off. I wanted to build a reputation for sourcing the best raw materials possible, and dreaming up truly show-stopping edible centerpieces.
Today, fifteen years later, I’m proud to say that Honey Crumb still embodies that mission. We’ve been on an upward trajectory, driven by thousands of happy clients (so far!), and I am still personally involved in the design and creation of all the bold, unique, and contemporary works of cake art that we produce each year. We use ethically sourced ingredients — ask us if you’d like to know more about our suppliers! — to craft confections of creative exuberance, unforgettable flavor, and the utmost structural integrity.
I’m a dual citizen of South Africa and Germany. My career trajectory has taken me from grad school in environmental policy at St. Andrews University in Scotland, to professional copy editing in Johannesburg, to women’s healthcare in Maine, to the food industry here in the PNW. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to study under some of the legends of the cake profession, including Maggie Austin and Mike McCarey, and I’ve taken classes in such dignified settings as the French Pastry School in Chicago. Former Food Network champions like Kaysie Lackey have imparted their skills to me as well, including the art (and architecture) of “3-D” sculpted novelty cakes. I’m always learning, always exploring new techniques and media in the world of confectionary arts, drawing my inspiration from visual artists in other fields whose work is whimsical, nature-inspired, and innovative. I’m an enthusiastic teacher myself, and I host regular workshops at our beautiful, light-filled sugar studio in lower Queen Anne. In-person group workshops with me range in content from cake decorating for complete beginners, to more advanced techniques and skills like botanically-correct sugar flowers. I also offer private workshops with completely personalized content to suit my students’ career goals and desired skills. And finally, I offer a “Rent My Brain” option, which is a 75-min private consultation session that has helped many cake business owners to level up their game.
If you’re a cake business owner (or would like to be!), ”Rent My Brain” is an opportunity for me to help you crack the code on tricky things like identifying your niche, pricing your cakes, crafting marketable cake designs, diversifying your revenue streams (eCommerce, YouTube, StanStore, digital marketing, private workshops!), hiring staff, dialing in your SEO, keeping inventory and managing costs, networking with other industry professionals, developing a powerful email list… and more. I can also address technical questions about custom cake baking, stacking and transporting fragile cakes, creating sugar flowers, developing recipes, etc. It’s a complete JOY for me to share my knowledge and experience after 15 years of being knee-deep in the wedding and food-service industries. Sometimes I take stock of all the lessons that I’ve learned and insights that have been cobbled together, bit by bit (mostly the hard way!), and it fills me with awe and gratitude for what this career has brought to my life.
If I’m not baking, I can be found either tackling a project at the climbing gym, shredding the gnar at Crystal or Whistler, cooking a lovely meal with Loren, doing zoomies with our mini Aussie Shepherd (Bokeh), strength training, jumping on a mini trampoline, or chasing down the perfect twisty road on my BMW F800GT.
My personal Insta is HERE.
